Various technologies are known in the art for recovering inhalational anaesthetics.
The document WO 99/22845 A2 concerns a method and an apparatus for recovering gases, in particular anaesthetic gases, from zeolites. An absorber is filled with zeolite. A chemical vacuum pump is connected to the absorber to produce a vacuum. Next, the absorber is heated by means of a heating element and in that manner, the anaesthetic gas is driven out of the zeolite.
The document WO 2007/093640 A1 discloses a filter cartridge for recovering hydrocarbons and a corresponding method. The filter cartridge contains zeolites to which anaesthetic gases bind. In order to recover the anaesthetic gas, steam is fed through the filter cartridge.
A similar method for recycling anaesthetic gases from a filter cartridge is described in the document DE 101 18 768 A1.